Improving the documentation for modding

[wraitii]

I think we can do some better work on our modding documentation. Here are some things that ought be done IMO:

• Improve the wiki. This is a major thing and where I think the community (y'all) can help out most. We have some resources, but it's not very up-to-date or exhaustive, unfortunately.
  • Modding_Guide is the main page: I think the tutorials aren't very obvious, the rest of the content seems quite good, but perhaps some should be split off since it's the main 'modding hub' page.
  • Review Mod_Layout
  • GUI_-_Scripting_Reference < this is still somewhat relevant, but should be renamed & updated & simplified.
  • CreatingNewUnits < This should be really useful, but it's fairly outdated & starts with the command line, which is no longer necessary
  • ModdingGuiAndSimulation < these are, in fact, two rather different topics. It'd be good to expand & create a simple tutorial on how to create a new component
    • Edit: in fact there is https://docs.wildfiregames.com/pyrogenesis/writing-components.html
  • We need a "How to debug your mod" page.
  • There is no information on how to create your own messages.
    • Edit: in fact there is https://docs.wildfiregames.com/pyrogenesis/writing-components.html
  • I think the high-level overview of the project & its ECS is also somewhat outdated.
• Better C++/JS interface documentation:
  • Some of it can be on the wiki: How to use the range manager? How to use the Modifiers manager? & all other system/C++ components.
  • Some of it should probably go into improving docs.wildfiregames.com
  • Maybe we ought to auto-generate a list of 'Engine.XX' functions, too. Or at least document what exists now.
• We could definitely use a list of messages somewhere.

Some of this only developers will be able to do. Some of this you can help with (mostly the Wiki). I think it'd be great if people added their own frustration to this list, so that we can have a good idea what ought to be added.

[Grapjas]

4 hours ago, wraitii said:

I think it'd be great if people added their own frustration to this list

It would be nice if there would be a guide in editing xml files aswell (if there is one, i havent found it). They aren't hard to mod but it is hard to know what elements/attributes can or cannot be used inside them, and strolling past each file to find something you can use (which may not even exist) is a pain in the ass tbh. So im basically suggesting for a reference list on what is possible inside xml files. On top of that, a tutorial to incorperate new elements inside xml to work with your js code.

just my 2 cents.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

52 minutes ago, Grapjas said:

It would be nice if there would be a guide in editing xml files aswell (if there is one, i havent found it). They aren't hard to mod but it is hard to know what elements/attributes can or cannot be used inside them, and strolling past each file to find something you can use (which may not even exist) is a pain in the ass tbh. So im basically suggesting for a reference list on what is possible inside xml files. On top of that, a tutorial to incorperate new elements inside xml to work with your js code.

just my 2 cents.

http://docs.wildfiregames.com/entity-docs/trunk.html

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

52 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

http://docs.wildfiregames.com/entity-docs/trunk.html

I'm sure this is incomplete, so we can definitely improve it. Having more inline examples, for instance. 

 

[Loki1950]

A syntax highlighting text editor is also useful for creating/editing those XML files that would be notepad++ on Windows(also json files) on Linux all of the default text editors have it not being a OSX user not sure of what is available just pick the right language for each file first.

Enjoy the Choice